Railway crossing signal and guard



Nov. 1, I932.

H. A. PARSON I 1,885,759 I RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL AND GUARD Filed Dec. 2, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 OPQWJ0,INVENT0R ATTORNEY H. A. PARSON 1,885,759

Filed Dec. 2, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL AND GUARD Nov. 1, 1932.

H. A. PARSON Filed Dec. 2, 1931 RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL AND GUARD 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 4 sheets-sheet 4 ATTORNEY fi fi HAUWWJVQINVENTOR v Nov. 1, 1932. H. A. PARSON RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL AND GUARD Filed Dec. 2. 1951 o p;o

Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UN-HTED stares HAROLD 'ARMOURPARSON, or FAWN LAKE, ALBERTA, CANADA RAILWAY GROSSING'SIGNAL AND GUARD Application filed. Decemberfi, 1931. Serial No. 578,577.

The invention relates to a railway'crossing signalnnd guard and more especiallyto an automatically operated device for warning.

; vehicles of the proaching train at a crossing. v

The primary object of the inventionis the provision of a device' of this character wherein an approaching train. at a crossing will automaticall 0 erate the same so as to si nal automobile type .of an apthe approach of said train and inevent that an operator of a vehicle such as an automobile fails. to heed the signal and drives upon the track the tires punctured t0 P operatonof the of the signal.

of such vehicle will become enahze the intruder or the automoblle in disobedlence 'Another object of the invention is the provision of a devi ce of this character wherein the moving train when approaching the crossing will automatically operate the same both for, the setting of the signal and the puncturing medium and also when leaving the crossplied thereto ing .to return the signal and the puncturing medium to ineffective pos1t1ons,the devlce being operable by a train when approachlng the crossing in'either direction.

A further ob ject of the invention is the ts inthe features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which dis claims hereunto close the preferred embodiment of the invention, and

pointed out in the appended. 2

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 1s afragmentary top plan view of a railway track showing the device contion.

; structed in accordance with the invention apand 1n normallyinactive posi- Figure 2 is a side elevation the same being partly in section and showing the cow catcher of a locomotive device.

with the trip means for the Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 21001:- ing from the opposite side. of the track.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 4:, the same being on an enlarged scale. I t

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view. through one of the yieldable or compensating connections arranged. in the device.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side. elevation showing the puncturing medium set at the crossing. t

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 9 is a sectionalview 0n the line.9 9 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. 7

Similar reference characters indicate cor.- responding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates a portion of the rails of a single track and B the cross ties; these portions of the rails A of the track for the purpose of illustr'ation'are'at a road crossing intersecting said track and arranged at this location 011.80

one rail at the outer side thereof is a vertically movable horizontally disposed tire puncturing medium including a plate 10 having bolted or otherwise made fast thereto a plurality of puncturing spurs or teeth 11, these being spaced apart and protrude above the upper edge of said plate. The plate 10 is provided with spaced longitudinal slots 12, these being arranged nearv opposite ends and in which engage the upper pivotal connections 13 of rocks ing arms 14, the latter being journaled'at their lowerends as at 15 in bearings 16 located at V the base ofsaid rails so thaton the swinging of the arms 14- in one direction the platewill become lowered and when moved in the opposite direction said plate will be raised to protrude the spurs or teeth 11 above the plane of the treads of the rails A, so that when a motor vehicle crosses the track the spurs or teeth 11 will penetrate the tires and thus 10d puncture the same. The plate 10 is fitted between vertical guides 17 so that it will move vertically therebetween to lowered or raised position and when in lowered position the spurs or teeth 11 will be below the treads of the rails A and inactive for tire puncturing purposes. adapted for free movement in the slotsl2 and are connected with the throw rod 18, the latter being projected beyond the plate 10'at opposite ends thereof and these projected ends are pivoted at 19 with rocking arms 20 corresponding to the arms 14, the arms 20 being also pivoted at their upper ends through the medium of links 21 with rocking levers 22, the latter being supported for rocking movement by bearing studs .23, these being suitably mounted in the web of the rail A spaced beyond opposite ends of the plate 10 the required distance. These levers 22 are operated by the depressible trips 24 and 25 respectively so that on approach of a train upon the track in either direction relative to the crossing either lever 24 or 25 will be operated to move the plate 10 into lowered position after the automatic setting thereof to raised position in a manner presently described.

Located the required distance away from the crossing intersecting the track and arranged on the rail A carrying the parts hereinbefore described are actuating levers 26,

these at their lower ends being connected by pivots 27 with shift rods 28, the latter being connected with the levers 22 and each has included therein a turnbuckle 29 and a spring tensioned compensating connection 30, the latter being employed to avoid the breaking of the parts when operated should the plate 10 become jammed or adjunct operative parts thereof, while the turnbuckle 29 is employed to take up slack or foradjustment purposes. Each actuating lever 26 carries an upper section 31 connected through the medium of a pivot 32 with said lever and this pivot 32 carries a spring 33 active upon the section'3l'to normally hold it in alignment with the lever 26 yet permitting the section 31 to become depressed against the resistance of the spring 33 when actuated in one direction to avoid operating the plate 10, the section 31 being extended above the tread of the rail A and carrying a rubber tired contact roller 34 at its upper end with which is adapted to engage a striker 35 I which extends" entirely across the cow catcher'36 of a locomotive and this striker 35 is operative upon the lever 26 upon the approach of a train to the crossing to move the plate 10 to raised position where the spurs or teeth 11 will be arranged for puncturing purposes of tires of an automobile when running upon the trackin front of the train approaching the'crossing. It will be apparent that the actuating lever 26 with the section 31 is provided with a break joint at the pivot 32 so that said lever will be effective for operation in The pivotal connections 13 are.

one direction only and that is to say in the direction of the approaching movement of the train to the crossing, whereas the train moving in the reverse direction will be ineffective for actuating the lever 26 to operate the plate 10.

It will be obvious from Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings that an actuator lever 26 is located on each side of the crossing and a train approaching from either side of the crossing thereto will automatically operate the puncturing medium including the plate 10 and the spurs or teeth 11 by the striker 35 on the cow catcher 36 engaging the wheel 34 causing the lever 26 to rock and thus imparting movement to the plate 11 for the raising thereof to operative position. Likewise the trips 24 and 25 are arranged on opposite sides of the crossing between the same and the levers 26 so that when the train nears the crossing or in immediate proximity thereto the striker 35 will operate upon either of the trips 24 or 25 according-to the direction of travel of the train for the automatic lowering of the plate 10 with the spurs or teeth a vertically disposed rotatable flag signal staff 36 having at its upper end a panel or flag 37 on which is arranged a signal such as the word Stop as at 38 and this panel or'flag 37 normally is in non -sign'allin posi- Carried by the staff 36 Within the tion. stand 35 is an arm 39, which through the medium of a ball and socket connection 40 with the actuator crank v41, the latter being fixed to a turning shaft 42 suitably j ournaled in the stand 35' and bearing 43 on the base of the-rail next thereto. This shaft 42 at its inner end through the connections 44 in association with the actuator levers 45, these being identical to the levers 26 will be automatically operated for the turning of the panel or flag 37 to signalling position at the crossing. The connections 44 contiguous with the stand 35 are fitted with the trip 46 corresponding to the trip 25 and this trip is operative to return the signal panel or flag 37 to non-signalling position when the train I has reached the crossing. The connections 44 include'the turnbuckles 47 and compensating connections 48 identical with the turnbuckle 29 and connections 30 so that proper adjustment may be had and also to prevent the breaking of the working parts of the signal mechanism should any part thereof become jammed. I

The connections 44 for a major portion thereof are incased in a-piping 49 and likewise the plate 10 is incased ina housing 50 j to protect these against the weather elements.

In the operation of the device when a train approaches the road crossing of the track from either direction at opposite sides thereof at a determined distance therefrom the striker will first engage the lever for operating first the signal panel or flag 37 to bring it to signalling position and thereby warn a motorist approaching the crossing of the danger of the oncoming train. At a later interval the striker 35 will operate the actuator lever 26 so that the plate 10 with its spurs or teeth 11 will be raised at the crossing and in event that such motorist fails to heed the signal and drives upon the track the spurs or teeth 11 will puncture the tires of the vehicle to penalize such motorist for not obeying such signal. reaches the road crossing the striker 35 will operate first upon the trip 24 to lower the plate 10 with the spurs or teeth 11 thereon to ineffective position, then almost immediately thereafter will operate the trip 46 which will cause the automatic shifting of the panel or flag 37 to non-signalling position. When the train passes the crossing in the same direction'of travel and strikes the trip25 and actuator levers 26 and 45 respectively at the other side of the crossing these will be low cred, the plate 10 having been previously lowered with the signal panel or flag 37 in non-signalling position.

011 the reverse approach of the train the striker 35 will then actuate the said actuator levers 26 and 45 at that side of the crossing approached by the train for operating the device for signalling and penalizing purposes. Then when the train reaches the crossing it will operate first the trip 25 to lower the plate 10 and then operate the trip v46 for the turning of the signal panel or flag 37 to non-signalling position. Thus it will be seen that the plate 10 will be automatically operated by the train and likewise the signal panel or flag 37 irrespective of the direction of the travel of the train upon the track and in this manner a motorist will be warned at a crossing of the oncoming train thereto and on disobedience of such signal will be penalized by the puncturing of the tires of the vehicle driven by the motorist by the spurs or teeth 11 in the plate 10 of the device.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a track at a road crossing, of a plurality of rocking arms arranged longitudinally of the track, a plate carried by said arms and having teeth to protrude above the tread of the track on move ment of the arms in one direction, links piv-v When the train 2. The combination with a track at a road crossing, of a plurality of rocking arms arranged longitudinally of the track, a plate carried by said arms and having teeth to protrude above the tread of the track on move- .ment of the arms in one direction, links pivoted to the ends of the plate, levers pivoted to the links, actuator levers, shift rods connecting the first and second named levers and each having a turnbuckle and tension compensating connection, wheeled spring tensioned members carried by the actuator levers and projected above the tracks, and depressible actuator levers connected with the first named levers and located spaced from said first named actuator levers.

3. The combination with a track at a road crossing, of a plurality of rocking arms arranged longitudinally of the track, a plate carried by said arms. and having teeth to protrude above the tread of the track on movement of the arms in one direction, links pivoted to the ends of the plate, levers pivoted to the links, actuator levers,vshift rodsconnecting the first and second named levers and each having a turnbuckle and tension compensating connection, wheeled spring tensioned members carried by the actuator levers and projected above the tracks, depressible actuator levers connected with the first named levers and located spaced from said first named actuator levers, and means on a tram to operate said actuator levers on approach to the crossing at either side thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HAROLD ARMOUR PAR-SON. 

